A person was taken to hospital in ambulance and a horse had to be put down after it was hit by a car on Friday afternoon on 132nd Avenue in Maple Ridge.

The incident happened at approximately 4 p.m., and the horse was not being ridden at the time. Ridge Meadows RCMP stated it appears to have escaped from a nearby property.

The horse lay at the bottom of a steep bank, about three metres below the road, according to firefighters.

A bystander who came to help at the scene was pinned under the horse.

The animal’s back legs were both broken, and a veterinarian euthanized the animal.

The patient was transported to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.

A person associated with the nearby North Fraser Therapeutic Riding Association said the tragic events show the need for a safe shoulder for riders along 132nd Avenue, west of the Equi-Sports Centre. There is a barrier between the road and a multi-use pathway along more eastern areas of 132nd Avenue.

She noted that since it has been recently re-paved, traffic speeds along the road even as they share it with horses.